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End of the Mexican-American War
After many long and bloody battles, the U.S. emerges victorious. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the U.S. gained 525,000 square miles of Mexican territory, including the Rio Grande, California, and most of the territory which now forms the Southwest. -
Commodore Perry re-opens Japan to trade
American Commodore Matthew Perry sent an imposing Naval army over to Japan, hoping to coerce (and intimidate) shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa into letting Japan's trade doors re-open to the West. Japan complied, allowing trade imports and exports for the first time in over two centuries. -
The Alaska Purchase
The purchase of Alaska from Russia was made by U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, who spent $7.2 million on the new territory. Hence, the event is sometimes referred to as Seward´s Folly. Americans hoped that the new territory would provide an additional trade gateway to Asia. -
Attempt to Annex Dominican Republic
President Ulysses S. Grant wanted to annex the Dominican Republic before other empires could, in defiance of the Monroe Doctrine. His idea was to promise the republic eventual statehood. However, U.S. senate voted against this annexation, believing that it would be expensive. -
the McKinley Tarriff
President William McKinley imposed a hefty international tariff on imports to protect American businesses from foreign companies. -
Queen Kamakaeha of Hawai´i overthrown
A coup led by American sugar planters looking for wealth in Hawaii overthrew Queen Liliuokalani Kamakaeha, marking the trail towards Hawaii´s annexation to the United States. -
The sinking of the USS Maine
American warship USS Maine fell victim to an unforeseen explosion while harboring in Havana, Cuba in response to José Martí´s call for Cuban independence from Spain. This laid the grounds for full American involvement in the Spanish-American War. -
The Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War was first sparked by José Martí's call for Cuban independence from Spain in 1895, though America did not get extensively involved until the sinking of the USS Maine. Spain sent an army to Cuba, desperate to cling onto one of the last remaining overseas territories of the Spanish empire. After a few battles between Spanish and American forces over Central American land, the U.S. won the war, gaining the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. -
U.S. annexes Hawaii
President William McKinley annexes Hawaii to keep the American sugar plantations located there under United States control. -
The Teller Amendment
This document claimed that America would never establish permanent control over Cuba. -
United States wins over Guam, Puerto RIco, & the Philippines
After a senate debate over the ethicality of subjecting these territories to American imperialism, the senate received permission via the Treaty of Paris to colonize these Central American countries. This choice greatly influenced the 1900 Presidental Election. -
Announcement of Open Door Policy
Secretary of state John Hay proposes the Open Door Policy in a series of notes. This policy would allow equal opportunity for other world powers and the U.S. to engage in trade with China. -
Boxer Rebellion
Resenting the new flow of American presence in China after the Open Door policy was released, Chinese workers rose up and started a bloody battle, but were quickly put down by international forces. -
20th Century McKinley Election
The American Anti-Imperialist League tried their best to get an anti-imperialist candidate on the ballot, since McKinley had been a powerful voice in the senate vote to colonize the Philippines on February 1899. William Jennings Bryant ended up being their nominee, though McKinley ultimately won the election. -
the Roosevelt Corollary
President Theodore Roosevelt added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the United States has the right to mediate if European powers try to take advantage of Latin American territories. -
Construction of the Panama Canal
The United States took construction of the Panama Canal from their unsuccessful French predecessors. Panama technically did not give the US permission to start building, but it happened anyways. The canal took 10 years to finish, is 51 miles long, and connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, omitting around 8,000 miles of nautical trade travel. -
The Great White Fleet
This Navy battleship fleet was sent off under President Theodore Roosevelt's order to sail around the globe. Their reason in doing this was to make courtesy visits to other countries while also reminding the world that the United States had ample military power and was not afraid to use it. The Panama Canal was not complete at the time of the voyage, so the fleet had to sail around the southern tip of South America. -
Dollar Diplomacy
President William Howard Taft emphasized "substituting dollars for bullets", in the hopes that investing in overseas nations would convince those territories to be friendly with the U.S. Despite its success, the dollar diplomacy ideal failed to pull through during revolutions in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. -
Good Neighbor policy
FDR wanted to enact a policy of being "good neighbors" to the Latin territories surrounding America, specifically through non-intervention. -
Treaty of Manila
This treaty is a statement of Filipino independence (signed by American High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt), releasing the Philippines from the control America held over them since the end of the Spanish-American War. Ironically, This date is shared with American Independence Day.
